"Without the world of possibility, what do we have left?� - Ed Stevens, Ed
About a month and a half ago, a barely-noticed NBC dramedy took its final bow. Ed, the story of a New York City lawyer who returns to his small hometown and attempts to woo his high school crush, went out with barely a whisper. Not many people saw it, partly because it was on a Friday night but mostly because it was one of those shows that not very many people watched in the first place - at least not in the category of what NBC would consider a hit, though some might argue that they should settle for whatever they can get at this particular point in time.
It occurred to me as I watched the finale, in which Ed Stevens, the protagonist, and Carol Vessey, the object of his affections, walked down the aisle and were united in marriage, that if Ed were the worst thing on television, the American viewing public would not be doing badly at all. Ed wasn't the best show I've ever seen. However, it was far from the worst show I've ever seen.
In fact, the first half of the first season really was impressive. In the words of the good people at TWoP, it "was actually well-written and featured decent actors with no immediate physical shortcomings." Which doesn't sound like the most ringing endorsement any of us have ever heard, but coming from those masters of snark it's quite a compliment.
Even when the quality of the writing took a drastic plunge toward the end of the first season (Joan of Arcadia has kind of been leaning in this direction recently too, which is frightening for the same reasons) and throughout most of the second season, I and other fans stuck with it, not because we liked how it was, but because we knew how good it could be. Thankfully, our patience was rewarded when the show's third and fourth seasons were at worst watchable and at best entertaining.
Granted, the show was never too based in reality. I mean, come on. Ed practiced law from his office in the bowling alley he owned and often pursued Carol through such ridiculously extravagant means as dressing up in a suit of armor. In the final season, Ed and his best friend Mike purchased a racehorse to fulfill one of their childhood dreams, fed, cared for, and trained it, watched it lose, and sold it a week later. Sure, they are a lawyer and a doctor respectively, but they work in bumpkinland and can't possibly have that kind of cash to throw around. Whatever. That was part of the magic. Suit of armor? Romantic. Huge plastic stars strung up in the yard? The stars have aligned; fate is with us. Literally climbing a tree to 'go out on a limb' for someone? Camping out in the mountains a la Walden? Okay, so the show was big on symbolism.
But what was the underlying theme each and every week? In the words of John Mellencamp, 'your life is now.' Life is not a rehearsal, supposedly, so we're supposed to make the best of whatever we've been dealt. Why not be creative and do the wild and crazy things, the things great stories are made of? It is almost a guarantee that things won't turn out perfectly. They never do. They rarely did on Ed. But you have to put yourself out there, give what you've got.
At the very least, you'll meet some interesting -- nay, fascinating -- people along the way. Like Shirley Pifko, the bowling alley employee who was known to espouse bizarre and intriguing comments on a consistent basis. A few examples: "I'm going to spend the entire $15 on curly fries." "I went wild once on a trip to Scranton, Pennsylvania. But no one was there to capture it on videotape." "I could eat stew seven nights a week. I don't, but I could." Hell, there'll be plenty of annoying people too (Phil Stubbs, Warren Cheswick, that androgynous girl with the hair). But the Shirleys are the ones you stick around for.
Live deliberately. Do it bigger, do it better. Go all-out. Not bad advice, especially coming from a TV show. And don't be afraid to change your mind or change your plans. The wedding finale started out with a poorly conceived circus theme and ended right where it belonged: in the bowling alley.
Perhaps my life is not as exciting as the ones I see on television. After all, who wants to watch a show where people check their email and watch TV for an hour a week? But I hope I'm doing my best to live deliberately, be creative and examine the world of possibility. After all, you really have nothing before you but possibility.
Someone got here by searching for: "sex vacation," which is what I hope to have next week during Spring Break. Although, not a vacation from sex. A vacation FULL of sex. Okay, never mind. Reading: New work stuff. Being a cashier is actually pretty damn fun. Watching: Airline, which is a really awesome show. Listening to: Dolly Parton.
